This application claims the benefit of the filing date of Israeli Patent Application No. 130881 filed Jul. 11, 1999.
The present invention generally relates to Internet collaboration between two or more Users.
Ordinary Internet collaboration includes either of the following:
1. Exchanging data information, including text or graphics, via email service.
2. Exchanging text data in real time using xe2x80x9cchatxe2x80x9d application.
3. Whiteboard application for creating collaborative graphic documents.
Neither of the above-mentioned methods enables User B to view the original web-page annotated by User A, and vice-versa.
Furthermore, with regard to the same web-page, there is no way by which one user can follow, in real-time, graphical or textural annotations added to the web-page by any other user.
It is thus the prime object of the present invention to provide an Internet collaboration system which enables users to follow in real-time the web-page of any predefined group of users.
It is a further object of the invention to further enable any of the users to create annotations super imposed on a given web-page, which can be viewed by any other member of the group, or same user, in real time. Alternatively, members can send messages to inform other users of specific newly created annotations.
It is a still further object of the invention to enable users to select from the annotated web-page, using any chosen criteria, (e.g. time, author, annotation type etc.) any of the previously entered and stored annotations.
It is a still another object of the invention to follow-up members of the group""s activities while surfing the web.
Thus provided according to one aspect of the invention is a method of communication by the Internet network between at least a first GROUP member and a second GROUP member, each connectable to one or more SERVERS having data-bases, and employing an interface for displaying web-page(s), comprising the steps of establishing connection by the first GROUP member to a SERVER, establishing connection by the second GROUP member, to the SERVER, updating the first and the second GROUP members of being respectively connected to the SERVER, loading an original web-page by the first GROUP member, updating the second GROUP member of the location of the web-page; and loading the original web-page by the second GROUP member. The method may comprise the further steps of creation of an annotation by the first GROUP member overlying the web-page, loading the annotation by the second GROUP member and establishing creation of an annotation by the second GROUP member overlaying the web-page and loading the annotation by the first GROUP member.